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(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. 0. T. WALKER.

MACHINE FOR STRIPPING PEANUTS. I No. 319,762. v v PatentedJune 9,1885.

OAZQZMW @W 9 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. T. WALKER.

MACHINE FOR STRIPPING PEANUTS.

No. 819,762. PatentedJune 9, 1885.

; I Mil means whereby peanuts can be easily, quickly, and thoroughlyseparated from the vines, the sound and perfect nuts separated fromthose which are imperfect and unsound, and the UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

CLARENCE T. WALKER, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGES. PRINDLE, OF WASHINGTON, D. O.

MACHINE FOR STRIPPING PEANUTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,762, dated June 9,1885.

Application filed November 21, 1884. (N0 model.)

of theside at which the power is applied, and Fig. 4. is a verticalsection upon a line? passing centrally through the longitudinal axis ofsaid machine.

Like letters refer to like parts in all of the figures.

The object of my invention is to provide rubbish, refuse, and dirtseparated. and removed from the nuts and to this end my inventionconsists in the machine and the construction, arrangement, andcombination of its parts, as hereinafter set forth, and morespecifically pointed out in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, A and A represent the top rails, Band B thebottom rails, C and O the posts, and D and D the crossbars of the frame,of my machine, which parts are combined and have the general rectangularform shown.

Journaled transversely across the upper side of the frame described arefour rollers,

the first of which, E, is located near the rear end of said frame,the'second, F, is placed near the opposite end of the same, while theremaining rollers, G and H, are placed, respectively, near said rollersE and F. The upper sides of said rollers E and F have the same plane,while said rollers G and H have their upper surfaces upon a planeslightly below the former.

Passing around the rollers E and F and over the rollers G and H are twoendless belts, I and I, which are placed near the ends of the Fig. 2. isa same and are connected together by means of 'bars or rods 2' andi,'that are arranged transversely and at equal distances, and, when saldendless belt or apron is caused to move lengthwise by the rotation ofsaid roller E, are caused to move in opposite directions with theircontiguous surfaces nearly in contact.

At a point midway between the rollers E and F a roller, K, is journaledwithin verticallyadj ustable bearings k, with its lower surface incontact with the upper face of the endless belt I, the object of whichparts will be hereinafter explained. a

' Between the rollers G and H, beneath the belt I, is a hopper, L,which'at its lower end is connected with a box, M, that extendshorizontally lengthwise of the frame, and at one end communicates withthe casing n of a 'fan or blower, N, while at its opposite end said boxis open. Immediately below the lower end of the hopper L an opening, m,corresponding in size and shape to the like features of the former, I

is provided within the lower side of the box M, and beneath such openingis a screen, 0, composed of a series of longitudinal bars connectedtogether so as to leave spaces between their contiguous sides, whichscreen is pivoted at one end to the lower side of said box, or to othersuitable support, and from thence extends downward and outward with itslower end projecting outside of the frame.

The outer portion of the screen 0 issuspended'by means of a bail, P,which permits the outer end of said screen to be moved length; wise ofthe machine. A vibratory motion is imparted to said screen by means of arod,Q,

that is pivoted at one end to or upon the side I of the former, and atitsopposite end upon a crank, 1, which crank is attached to and rotateswith a shaft, R, that is journaled near the front end of the frame.

Motion is imparted to the operative parts of the machine by thefollowing means, viz: a large pulley, S, provided with a crank, s, issecured upon one end of the journal-shaft of the roller E, and aroundsaid pulley passes a belt, T, which also passes around asmall pulley, U,that is secured upon the end of the shaft R opposite to the crank r.

Inside of the frame a large pulley, V, is secured upon saidshaft, andfrom the same a belt, W, passes to and around a small pulley, X, whichis attached to the shaft n of the blower'N.

As thus arranged it will be seen that by turning the crank s the endlessbelt I will be caused to move around itsvrollers, the'screen.

will be vibrated, and the blower N will be caused to revolve.

In use peanut-vines are placed upon the endless belt I in front of theroller K, when, by the operation of the roast moving in oppositedirections, the nuts will be separated from Y the vines and will falldownward into the hopper L. The said roller K operates to hold saidvines downward upon said belt, and to compel the nuts to project throughbetween said rods so as to insure their separation from said vines. 1

From the hopper L the nuts pass into the box M, where they are met by acurrent of air from the blower N, which current has such force as tocause the unsound lighter nuts to pass forward out of the open end ofsaid box, while the sound nuts, together with the heavicst of the dirt,fall through theopening m .upon the screen 0, said' dirt then passingdownward through the openings of said screen,

while said nuts pass outward'upon the floor.

The light imperfect nuts possessa certain commercial value, and in orderthat they may be separated from dirt and other refuse matter I place atthe open end of the box M a trough, Y, which extends downward and'in- 1and inward beneath the-frame, while such refuse matter as has beencarried by the current of air beyond the opening an is caused to passoutward over said slide, the result being the complete separation ofsaid nuts from said refuse.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, whatI claim as new 1. In a peanut-stripper, in combination with a series oftransverse bars, a series of transverse bars substantially at rightangles to the other bar and flexibly connected together, and means,substantially as described, for causing one of the series of bars tomove longitudinally with reference to the other series of bars and closeto the same, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a peanut-stripper, as a means for separating the nuts from thevines, flexibly-connected transverse bars moving substantially at rightangles to the bars, flexibly-connected transverse bars moving below andclose to the other bars and in a direction opposite to that of themovement of such other bars, and suitable driving means or mechanism,substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. As a means for separatingthe nuts from the vines, the endless belts Iand I, provided with the transverse connecting-rods i 'i, and

adapted to move longitudinally, with their contiguous portions moving inopposite directions, substantially as'and for the purpose described. V p

' 4. In'combination with the rollers E F, the rollers G H between them,the belts passing over and around rollers E F and over rollers G H, andthe transverse bars connected with and carried by the belts,substantially as and for the purpose described 5. In combination withthe two end'rollers and the two intermediate rollers placed betweenthem, the endless apron formed of the two belts carrying the transverseconnectingbars passing around the end rollers and up over theintermediate rollers, andthe presserroller above the upper portion ofthe belt passing between the end rollers, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

6. The hereinbefore-described machine for stripping, separating, andgrading peanuts, comprising the operating-rollers E, F, G and H, endlessbelts'I and I,having the transverse 'rods 1'', presser-roller K, hopperL, air-box M,

provided with opening an, blower N, screen O, and trough Y, having theslide y, all combined with each other and with operating mechanism,substantially as and for the purpose specifi'ed. p r

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this25th day of June, 1881. CLARENCE 'r, WALKER. Witnesses:- I

A. It. BROGK, J our. BREWER.

